What is the Computer Aided Design/Drafting Program?
Kilgore College offers an outstanding Design/Drafting program. As a public supported community college, our tuition is a fraction of the cost of a nationally advertized private technical school. Industrial growth and increasingly complex design problems associated with new products and manufacturing processes will increase the demand for drafting services. Further, CAD technicians are beginning to break out of the traditional drafting role and increasingly doing work traditionally performed by engineers and architects, thus increasing the need for technical designers. A lecture/lab format gives the student hands-on experience guided by experienced instructors. “Computer-Aided Design is a way to build your mind’s ideas in the visual reality of a computer.”
What is the Computer-Aided Design/Drafting Program, and what careers are available upon completion?
Employment opportunities exist for both women and men. Since all manufactured items and construction projects must be designed and drawn before production, the need for trained technical designer personnel will increase as the economy grows. Almost every type of industry and government agency employs designers.Technical Designers convert ideas, sketches, specifications and instructions of engineers and architects into plans and details which are used in the production of machinery, equipment, structures, construction, and products. Much of today’s drafting is done with computer-aided drafting (CAD) and other software programs. The design/ drafting curriculum teaches the student to draw objects in a traditional two dimensional drawing format and as a three dimensional model.Kilgore College uses AutoCADã and Autodesk Inventorã, the most widely used CAD programs in the world, to train students.
What will I learn in your program?
You will learn how to prepare technical drawings and plans used by production and construction workers to build everything from manufactured products, such as spacecraft, aircraft, automobiles, industrial machinery, printed circuit boards, toasters, or toys, to structures such as houses, office buildings, roads and bridges or oil, gas and chemical refineries and pipelines. Drawings provide visual guidelines, showing the technical details of the products and structures and specifying dimensions, materials to be used, and procedures and processes to be followed.
Who are potential employers in the East Texas area?
Eastman Chemical, Letourneau Incorporated, Letourneau Marine Group, General Dynamics Satcom, Stemco, Borgwarner, Capacity of Texas, Design Quest Incorporated, Aaon Coil Products, General Electric, Hydrolex, Longview Plan Service, Magnum Terminal Tractors, Mosby Mechanical, Panel-Truss Texas Incorporated, Satterwhite Log Homes, Steelman Industries, Stokes & Associates Incorporated, Upshur Rural Electric Cooperative, KSA Engineers Incorporated, The Brannon Corporation, King Tool Company, Hacker Industries, International Switchboard Corporation/Integrated Power Systems, CSI, S&B Engineering, Texas Utilities-Martin Lake and many other places or you can be self-employed.
Is there security in the marketplace to sustain employment in this field?
According to the United States Department of Labor, employment of drafters is expected to grow from 4 to 11 per cent each year through 2016.
Will I have assistance in Job Placement?
Kilgore College has a job placement department that will assist students in job placement. The Design/Drafting Program has a strong advisory committee as well as support from the engineering and industrial areas. Both entities are excited about our program producing graduates for them to employ.
How long does it take to complete the program?
We offer an Associate of Applied Science Degree, which is a two-year degree, or a Design/Drafting Basic Certificate, which is a one-year certificate. We also off a Design/Drafting Advanced Certificate, which is also a one-year certificate but required the completion of the Basic Certificate before finishing the Advanced Certificate.
Will the computer-aided design courses that I take at Kilgore College transfer to another college or university?
Yes, as long as it is a publicly supported junior or community college in the state of Texas and the college or university offers the design course that is being transferred. If the college or university does not offer the design course, then it may transfer as an elective and not as a required course. If the college or university is private or if it is outside the state of Texas, then you will have to contact that institution to see if they will accept the design course from Kilgore College.
Will Kilgore College accept computer-aided design courses from other colleges, universities, high shcools?
Yes, Kilgore College will accept any computer-aided design courses that are taught at any publicly supported junior or community colleges in the state of Texas as long as Kilgore College teaches those computer-aided design courses. A decision to accept or reject design courses that are taught at private colleges or universities or out-of-state colleges and universities will be reviewed and evaluated on a case by case basis.
Duel Credits from a High School will be accepted based on pre-set criteria that you can ask a KC counselor, KC Tech Prep teacher or your High School about.
How do I get more information?
Steve Baldwin
Instructor, Drafting/Design Technology Program
Phone: (903) 983-8169
Fax: (903) 983-8175
sbaldwin@kilgore.edu
Location: M. Kenneth Whitten Applied Technology Center (AT)
Office 202A
